Bowling ball return runway



April E. w. DlSCHEiQ BOWLING BALL RETURN RUNWAY Filed Dec. 1, 1941 ATTONEYS Patented Apr. 4, 1944 w re UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- BOWLINGBALL RETURN RUNWAY EdwardW. Discher, Milwaukee, Wis. ApplicationDecember 1, 1941, Serial No. 421,118

' Claims.

This invention pertains generallyto bowling ball return runwaysortroughs, and more particularly to means for retarding travel of theballs as they enter the receiving rack at the return end of the trough.

At the present time, there are a number of devices inuse designed toretard the speed of return balls as they enter the receiving rack fromthe return runway or trough. However, the most practical'devices now inuse are costly, and result in slowing upprogress of the ball to such anextent that considerable time is required for the ball to reach aposition for removal, which retards the game and is, therefore,objectionable to the players, and. also to the proprietor in that itreduces the revenue from the alley, inasmuch as the same is based uponthe number of games played. a V

The present invention has primarily for its object to overcome theforegoing objections by the provision of an exceedingly novel structureof receiving rack capable of quickly and effectively retarding the speedof a returned ball as it enters the rack.

Another salient object of my invention is to provide novel means forretarding or slowing up the speed of a returned ball, irrespective ofits weight, without the use of any moving parts.

A further important object of my invention is to provide'a device at thefront of the rack for effectivelygslowing up. a retarded ball, whichdevice is open to view andv does not include any enclosed parts wherebya player can pick up a ball as the same enters the rack, if he sodesires.

A still further and more specific object of my invention is to provide areturn rack for bowling balls having a retarding device at its receivinend embodying short elevated converging rails disposed above the railsof the rack for creating a frictional bind on the ball, whereby to slowup and lift the ball on the rails of the rack.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in thenovel construction, arrangement, and formation of parts, as will behereinafter more specifically described, claimed, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, in which drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary, side, elevational view showing my novelretarding device incorporated with the return runway and receiving rackof a bowling alley.

Figure 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, longitudinal, sectional viewthrough my ball retarding device, taken on the-line 22 of Figure3,-looking in' the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the ball retarding device. v

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional View through the ball retardingdevice, taken on the line 44 of Figure 1, looking in the direction ofthe arrows.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4, taken on the line 5'-5 of Figure1,1ooking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawing in -detail, wherein similar referencecharacters designate corresponding partsthroughout the several views,the letterT generally indicates the return trough or runway of a bowlingalley A, and this runway or trough is adapted to deliver the bowlingballs to the receiving rack R. My retarding device D is arrangeddirectly in front of the rack R and, in fact, forms a part thereof and'apart of the return runway or trough T.

The return runway or trough T can be of any preferred character, and, asshown, the same includes metal rails ill. The rails H) are inclinedupwardly and rearwardly toward-the receiving rack R, as at ll. v

The ball-receiving rack preferably includes spaced parallel rails l2vupon which the balls rest, and these rails are supported by spacedpedestals In accordance with my invention, the upper terminals of theinclined rail portions ll of the runway are inclined downwardly, as atI4, and terminate directly below the rails l2 of the rack R -as can beclearly seen by referring to Figures 1, 2, and 5 of the drawing. 1

The downwardly inclined portions M of the return runway rails form apart of the retarding device D, and my retarding device D also includesspaced parallel, transversely extending brackets l5 and I6. Thesebrackets l5 and I6 can be of a substantially semicircular shape, ifdesired, and the brackets adjacent their lower ends are provided withgrooves I! into which the downwardly inclined portions I4 of the runwayrails are slipped. Set screws [8 can be utilized for binding contactwith said inclined portions [4. In order to firmly secure the frontbracket H6 in place, the same can rest on the upper end of the frontpedestal I 3. Bolts Hi can be utilized for rigidly securing the bracketit to the pedestal. A filler plate 20 can be disposed between thebracket l6 and the bracket 2| utilized for holding the rack rails H. inplace. The inner faces of the brackets l5 and I6 adjacent their upperends are provided with grooves 22 into which are slipped the shortfriction or retarding rails 23.

Particular attention is invited to the fact that the friction orretarding rails 23 gradually converge toward the receiving rack R andare inclined down toward said rack. In order to permit the retardingrails 23 to converge toward one another, the front bracket Hi can bemade of a lesser width than the bracket I5. Pins 24 or equivalentfastening devices can be utilized for securing the friction or retardingrails 23 to the bracket IS.

The rails 23 are preferably formed of solid material for strength, andthe brackets l5 and Hi can be further braced by side rails26. Theserails 26 are also slipped in grooves 25 formed in the brackets I5 andI6, and the balls do not engage these brace rails. As stated, the rails26 merely brace the structure and tend to add to the appearance of theretarding device.

As the balls are returned down the runway or trough T, the same climb upthe inclined portion H and roll into the retarding device D intoengagement with the friction rails 23 and the downwardly inclinedportions IA of the runway rails. As the balls roll toward the rack R andtoward the converging ends of the friction rails 23, the balls arelifted up by said rails 23 off the runway rail portions M. This is dueto the fact that the friction rails 23 are spaced a lesser distanceapart than the diameter of the balls, and, consequently, as the ballsroll or spin, they climb up on said friction rails, and as the greatermas of each of the balls is above the friction rails 23, the ballscontinue to turn and roll toward the receiving rack. The balls leave thefriction rails 23 without any objectionable click as the same aredeposited upon the rails [2 of the rack R.

As the balls reach the converging ends of the rails 23, the same areeffectively retarded, and the speed thereof is slowed up to the desiredpoint.

Changes in details may be made without departing from the spirit or thescope of my invention, but what I claim as new is:

1. In a return runway for bowling balls including rails having upwardlyinclined portions and a receiving rack including, space parallel rails,the rails of the runway inclining downward toward the rails of the rackand terminating in front of and below the rails of the rack, spacedparallel brackets secured to the downwardly inclined portions of therunway rails, and friction rails secured to the brackets disposed abovethe inclined portions of the runway rails, said friction rails alsoinclining downwardly toward the rails of the runway and convergingtoward said rails or runway.

2. The combination with a return runway for bowling balls and areceiving rack arranged in front of the runway, said runway having aportion inclining downwardly toward the rack, of a device arrangedbetween the inclined portion and the rack for slowing up the speed ofthe balls as the same are delivered to the rack including a pair of raildisposed above the inclined portion and the rack for receiving andlifting the balls off of the inclined portion and depositing the same onthe rack, said rails gradually converging toward the rack,

3. The combination with a return runway for bowling balls and areceiving rack arranged in front thereof, said runway having a portioninclining upwardly toward the rack, of a device arranged between theinclined portion and the rack for slowing up the speed of the balls asthe same are delivered to the rack including a pair of spaced parallelrails forming a continuation of said runway leading from the inclinedportion thereof to the rack and terminating slightly below the rack, anda pair of converging rails arranged directly above the parallel railsand the rack and leading toward said rack for receiving and liftingballs off of said parallel rails and for depositing said balls on therack.

4. The combination with a return runway for bowling balls and areceiving rack arranged in front thereof, said runway having a portioninclining upwardly toward the rack, of a device arranged between theinclined portion and the rack for slowing up the speed of the balls asthe same are delivered to the rack including a pair of spaced parallelrails forming a continuation of said runway leading from the inclinedportion thereof to the rack and terminating slightly below the rack, anda pair of converging rails arranged directly above the parallel railsand the rack and leading toward said rack for receiving and liftingballs off of said parallel rails and for depositing said balls on therack, said converging rails inclining downwardly toward said rack.

5. The combination with a return runway for bowling balls and areceiving rack arranged in front of the runway, said runway incliningdownwardly toward the rack, of a device arranged between the inclinedportion and the rack for slowing up the speed of the balls including apair of rails disposed above the inclined portion and the rack forreceiving and lifting the balls oil of the inclined portion and fordepositing the balls on the rack, said rails gradually converging andinclining toward said rack.

EDWARD W. DISCHER.

